A girl receives a balloon animal during Eventageous, an annual family day event at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 1, 2022. (Jessica Avallone/U.S. Air Force)
The Air Force is scrutinizing the extra day given to troops that turn federal holidays into four-day weekends as the U.S. government hunts for ways to streamline operations.
At many bases, service members receive an automatic “family day,” typically scheduled alongside a Friday or Monday holiday.
In the coming weeks, the Air Force “will evaluate Family Days to ensure they align with our ability to support warfighter readiness,” Gwendolyn DeFilippi, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, wrote in a Feb. 11 memo.
The review comes as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, drives cost-cutting and efficiency measures across the executive branch of the federal government.
Family days have been a welcome perk for Senior Airman Andrew Clark, who transferred to Yokota Air Base, Japan, from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
“Coming from a base that didn’t practice it to one that does is night and day,” he said Wednesday at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at Yokota, an airlift hub in western Tokyo.
Clark said he uses the extra time off to recharge before the next workweek.
“I think we should keep them,” he said.
Kweku Akyeampong, an Air Force spouse and civilian worker at Yokota, also supports the policy, citing the long hours worked by airmen.
“If they get a holiday off, I think it’s cool,” he said.
DeFilippi’s memo emphasized that federal law does not permit the Air Force to grant civilian employees additional leave on family days. Unless otherwise exempted, civilians are expected to report to work, and contractors must adhere to their respective requirements and employer policies.
Commanders, directors and supervisors are encouraged to treat family days as “liberal leave” days whenever possible, DeFilippi wrote, meaning airmen may use previously earned leave, compensatory time, or preapproved time-off awards.
“The Department of the Air Force (DAF) routinely uses Family Days to recognize our teams’ contributions to the mission and our families’ enduring support of our efforts,” the memo said.
On family days, the Air Force will limit meetings and scheduled activities, and supervising authorities may approve a regular pass for military members, DeFilippi wrote.
“For military members requested to perform duties on these dates, commanders, directors, and supervisors may grant compensatory time off, mission requirements permitting,” she wrote.
Other service branches did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
